Vignelli Legacy
Gary Huswit with Heller Furniture 05.06.2024 - 11.01.2024 Living Room Gallery
Vignelli Legacy is a multi-media exhibition, on the occasion of Design Week New York 2024. It showcased the life and legacy of Saint Peter’s designers, Lella and Massimo Vignelli. This exhibition was in collaboration with the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology and Heller Furniture.
In collaboration with the furniture installation provided by Heller, a photography exhibition in Saint Peter’s Living Room Gallery hosted more than two dozen photographs from filmmaker and visual artist Gary Hustwit during his 2013 visit to the home of Massimo and Lella Vignelli. This exhibition was made possible by the Vignelli Center.
While searching for a willing subject to aid his burgeoning interest in still life photography, Hustwit turned to Massimo Vignelli, a figure who, along with a towering legacy in the design world, had a huge impact on Hustwit’s life and career. Massimo was Hustwit’s first on-camera interview for his film, Helvetica, and now served as first subject for a photography project, one that would encompass a day spent in the home he created with beloved wife and design partner Lella.
For the Vignellis, design was imbued in every facet of their life—from the furniture, lighting, and vases, to the dishes and cutlery. “I spent hours photographing the contents of their bookshelves, their kitchen, everything,” Hustwit said.
